N is of course for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who makes this all possible). N is also for NS (Neutron Spectrometer, to help us get the composition of Psyche) #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

P is for Psyche — oh wait, not an acronym! — it’s really for PMSR (Project Mission System Review, the big review in Phase B, ours is in April 2018. Review start at top — system level — and work down into subsystems and sub-sub etc with time.) #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

Q is for QSR (Quarterly Status Review; Psyche’s next one is in February. Note to self: no MMR when there is a QSR. Also wish I knew a pithier “Q.” NASAphiles?) #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

R is for REVIEW. Challenge: Could you make a whole alphabet just of reviews? But maybe today R is for RW (Reaction Wheel, a flywheel used for spacecraft attitude control) #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

S is for SRB (Standing Review Board, the outside group who reviews the mission periodically on behalf of NASA — we’re in the middle of putting ours together!) #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

V is for V&V (Verification and Validation) Verify that the implementation meets the intention. Validate that the intention meets the mission’s needs. Over and over, crimson and clover. How to make something that works independently in space for a decade. #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

W is for WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) The titles, responsibilities, and account numbers of all the roles needed to get the whooooole project done. Here’s a teeny high-level scrap of one. #NASAcronyms @NASAPsyche

X is for XFC (Xenon Flow Controller, the valve that feeds the xenon from the GIANT tank into the ultra-amazing Hall thrusters). Another thing I didn’t anticipate encountering in my life: > 900 kg xenon. #NASAcronyms@NASAPsyche